Liu Ling the Drunkard - Ancient Chinese Story

Salome Xie -- Sat 17, 2014, 11:08 am

One day Liu Ling had too much to drink, but feeling parched he asked his wife for more wine. She poured out the wine and broke the pitcher, and with tears in her eyes and advised him against tippling.

"You are drinking too much – it is bad for your health. You must stop it!"

Liu Ling said, "Very well. But I cannot control myself. The only way is to swear before the gods to give it up. Prepare the sacrificial meat and wine."

His wife agreed to this.

She placed wine and meat before the shrine and asked Liu Ling to make his oath. Liu Ling knelt down and prayed:

"Heaven gave me life and made me famed for drinking. I drink ten pints at a sitting, and five will cure my headache afterward. A man should not listen to the words of a woman."

Then he drained the wine and ate the meat, and soon was drunk again.

Note: Liu Ling was a scholar of the Western Jin Dynasty (265-317 A.D) from Anhui Province.


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